Bield:Farm
Crop directory

Buckwheat across all 50 states.

Fagopyrum esculentumCover CropFrost Sensitive7090 days to maturitySoil-temp ≥ 50°F

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a cover crop crop with a frost sensitive frost profile. Across all 50 states, 38 have buckwheat as a primary crop, 8 as secondary, 4 as limited, and 0 as trial-only.

Agronomy reference

Soil-temp minimum
50°F
Soil-temp optimum
60–80°F
Days to maturity
70–90
Water (in/wk)
0.5–1"
Soil pH
5.5–7
Nitrogen demand
low

Source: plants.usda.gov

Primary in 38 states

Commercially significant or common.

  • Alaska
    Zone 4a
    Spring · July 20August 17
  • Arkansas
    Zone 7b
    Spring · May 31June 28
  • Colorado
    Zone 5b
    Spring · July 5August 2
  • Connecticut
    Zone 6b
    Spring · June 20July 18
  • Delaware
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 10July 8
  • Idaho
    Zone 5b
    Spring · July 10August 7
  • Illinois
    Zone 6a
    Spring · June 20July 18
  • Indiana
    Zone 6a
    Spring · June 26July 24
  • Iowa
    Zone 5a
    Spring · June 30July 28
  • Kansas
    Zone 6a
    Spring · June 20July 18
  • Kentucky
    Zone 6b
    Spring · June 15July 13
  • Maine
    Zone 5a
    Spring · July 10August 7
  • Maryland
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 10July 8
  • Massachusetts
    Zone 6a
    Spring · June 26July 24
  • Michigan
    Zone 5b
    Spring · July 5August 2
  • Minnesota
    Zone 4a
    Spring · July 10August 7
  • Missouri
    Zone 6b
    Spring · June 15July 13
  • Montana
    Zone 4b
    Spring · July 15August 12
  • Nebraska
    Zone 5a
    Spring · June 30July 28
  • Nevada
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 20July 18
  • New Hampshire
    Zone 5b
    Spring · July 10August 7
  • New Jersey
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 15July 13
  • New Mexico
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 20July 18
  • New York
    Zone 5b
    Spring · July 5August 2
  • North Carolina
    Zone 7b
    Spring · May 31June 28
  • North Dakota
    Zone 4a
    Spring · July 15August 12
  • Ohio
    Zone 6a
    Spring · June 26July 24
  • Oklahoma
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 5July 3
  • Pennsylvania
    Zone 6b
    Spring · June 20July 18
  • Rhode Island
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 15July 13
  • South Dakota
    Zone 4b
    Spring · July 10August 7
  • Tennessee
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 5July 3
  • Utah
    Zone 6b
    Spring · June 26July 24
  • Vermont
    Zone 5a
    Spring · July 10August 7
  • Virginia
    Zone 7a
    Spring · June 10July 8
  • West Virginia
    Zone 6b
    Spring · June 20July 18
  • Wisconsin
    Zone 5a
    Spring · July 5August 2
  • Wyoming
    Zone 4b
    Spring · July 20August 17

Secondary in 8 states

Grown but not at scale; often gardens / food plots / cover.

Limited in 4 states

Marginal — only the warmest counties or season-extended setups.

  • California
    Zone 9a
    Spring · April 26May 24
  • Florida
    Zone 9b
    Spring · April 11May 9
  • Hawaii
    Zone 11a
    Spring · February 26March 25
  • Louisiana
    Zone 9a
    Spring · April 30May 28

Beyond the harvest

Hunting use · food plot

Buckwheat as a hunting food plot.

Buckwheat is a top dove-hunting cover crop — flowers attract pollinators all summer, then seed-out in late summer brings doves to the field. Time planting 70-80 days before opening day of dove season.

Attractsmourning dovewild turkey
Farm pond · ecosystem

Buckwheat and your farm pond.

Buckwheat flowers attract pollinators which support insect populations that feed bass fingerlings and bluegill in your farm pond.

Buckwheat planting in your county.

Bield: Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to buckwheat planting thresholds — get notified when conditions clear your target.